


Funhouses and Meltdowns

by captain_vantass



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, Angst, Anxiety Attcks, F/F, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-17 00:24:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3508208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_vantass/pseuds/captain_vantass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Lalonde and Jade Harley have some quality bonding time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Funhouses and Meltdowns

You'd made the plans several days ago. Jade had failed to stop showing you how excited she is. With grins and excited texts, even being ready to go hours in advance. It's adorable, really. 

Your name is Rose Lalonde and you are taking your best friend to her first carnival. 

Carnivals aren't exactly your idea of a good time, of course. You'd prefer a much quieter form of amusement. (Though, you'd be lying if you said you didn't enjoy a good carnival ride or two.) The last movie night the two of you had, featured a carnival. Stereotypical and flashy, but Jade was transfixed. 

You're hardly surprised, as excitable as she can be. With her lack of face-to-face contact with someone who wasn't family for years, she's always fun to show new things. Especially if she enjoys them. 

The trip there is spent talking. Well. For you, it's listening. You smile and laugh and let her talk on and on about how eager she is. It's so endearing your heart almost hurts. Damn, you're a good friend. 

She's predictable for the first ten, fifteen minutes. You're struggling to keep up with her as you enter the fairgrounds, helplessly calling her name like a mother losing their toddler. 

When you do catch up, the two of you walk side by side. She's all smiles, wide eyed and looking around with childlike fascination. Until you enter the heart of the crowd. As you expected, there was many people bustling this way and that. Occasionally bumping into you and Jade. After a couple of minutes of silence, you notice she's not excited anymore. 

She's not having fun anymore. You know this within the first few seconds of looking at her. Her long strides have died down to hesitant stumbles, before ceasing all together. 

"..Jade?" 

She's breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating as her gaze flickers rapidly back and forth. You cast a brief glance around as well, trying to locate what exactly is upsetting her so badly. Before you get the chance to ask, she answers your question in a voice so soft it's nearly lost in the excitement around you both. 

"Something-Something is wrong-"

"What, Jade? What is it?" Your question, no matter how gently you ask it, makes her whine a little with a hopeless frustration. You notice now, her hands are curled tightly into fists. "Jade.. Jade, Look at me.. What's wrong?"

The way her gaze flickers rapidly around before settling back on you makes you uneasy. "It-There's.. There's something-" She tries again, letting out another whine when she fails to find the words. You're starting to understand. 

"Jade.. Jade, look at me. You're okay.." You try gently. Stopped abruptly in the center of the crowd isn't a good place to be. People keep casting you looks that aren't helping to calm her. You reach a hand toward her and she flinches like you're swinging. 

"It-It's not okay-How are you so calm? Don't you-Don't you-?"

She's having trouble getting a decent breath now, borderline hyperventilating. "You're going to be okay, Jade." You assure her firmly enough to make her gaze cease flickering and focus on you. With a weak smile, you reach for her hand again. She doesn't recoil, so you take it as an affirmative to take her hand. The moment you have hers, she's clinging to your hand tight enough to make your bones hurt. Gods know you respected this girl's strength, but never expected to be on the receiving end. Even with something so minor. "Deep breaths.. Follow me." You state softly. 

You wait until she nods meekly, and start walking. You weave her through the crowd, using a scowl that threatens death to part your way through. When you glance back, she doesn't look any better. The bump of a stranger, an accidental scrape makes her tense. She freezes up like the touches spur an electric shock and you move a little faster. Finally, on the skirts of the crowd, you stop. She's still struggling for words and it's breaking your heart. 

"You-You know-You know what I meant-You felt that too-R-Right? Something's wrong, something is-Something is wrong-" 

"Jade."

"There's-There's something wrong, someone or-or something or-"

"Jade."

"Someone-You know what I mean-There's-It's-Something's off-"

"Jade!" 

 

She falters a little, looking at you hopelessly. You gently take her hands in each of yours. Giving each a little squeeze that hardly rivals the ones she gives you. 

"I understand." You assure her softly. You can feel the tension start to ebb away. "You're okay.. Everything is okay.. " Tears start to well up in her eyes, and she tries to protest. You silence her with a gentle hush, waiting for her to fall quiet again before continuing gently. "You are okay.. Nothing is wrong here.. I think the crowd was too much for you.. We're going to go home now.. Okay?"

She's confused. You don't blame her. "It's not the crowd-What-? No. It's something else-A crowd wouldn't make me-Me-"

"Panic?"

She whines a little again. 

"It's okay, Jade.. Plenty of people get.. Panicky, In crowds-"

"But-"

"Do you have another explanation?"

It's a blunt questions, stated somewhat impatiently. You're disappointed in yourself. But it seems to be what she needs. Her shoulders sag slightly and slowly, she starts to relax a little more. You try smiling at her. Your efforts are returned with a small curve of a smile. It was small, but it was there. You run your thumbs gently along the back of her hands.

 

"..Can.. Can we go home?"

She hesitates, you can tell she's embarrassed by her question. But you continue to smile anyway. 

"Of course, Jade."

"Thanks, Rose.."

You're a little surprised by the abrupt hug and barely keep from falling over. You give her a tight squeeze and she buries her face in your shoulder. 

"You're going to be okay.."

"I love you, Rose."

You smile and give her a light squeeze. "I love you too."


End file.
